Interactive Activities to Aid in a Comprehensive Understanding of Mental Health within the Professional Athletic Training Curriculum

Context: Mental health is a significant issue in the United States, with approximately 18.5% of adults and 22% of adolescents having a diagnosable mental illness. Athletic trainers are in a prime position to recognize signs of mental health illness in their patients and to facilitate referral to a mental health professional. Objective: To introduce interactive approaches for developing mental health first aid and referral skills in professional athletic training students. Background: Although the 2020 Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education curricular content standards require programs to educate students about identification and referral for mental health conditions, the standards do not provide specific suggestions for instructing this content. Description: Three educational activities have been implemented into the curriculum: an exploratory counseling session, Mental Health First Aid certification, and a standardized patient encounter. Clinical Advantage(s): The exploratory counseling session improves athletic training students' empathy for individuals living with mental illness. The Mental Health First Aid curriculum has been shown to raise awareness of mental health conditions and positively influence the number of people who receive professional help. Standardized patient scenarios have been shown to increase critical thinking and confidence with mental health cases and to increase knowledge in mental health assessment. Conclusion(s): Students' reflections support that these components have increased their competence and confidence in recognizing, intervening, and making referrals for individuals with suspected mental health concerns.